New Members Deepen Team’s Community Connection
(January 6, 2023, York, Pa.) — The York Revolution’s roots in its beloved hometown are growing deeper and broader.
Revolution President Eric Menzer today announced the 17-year-old professional baseball team has added 10 members to its ownership group. The new investors have significant York connections and join Bill Shipley, the chairman and majority owner, and 22 other community owners to form a dynamic ownership group.
For Shipley, the new investment represents not just growth in capital but also in community connections and impact.
“A business like the Revolution depends on its connection to the community,” Shipley said. “As we continue to add members to the community ownership group, we are deepening and widening that connection and reaching new segments of the York County leadership sector.”
The team recently won the Diversity Impact Award from the York County Economic Alliance for its community ownership program, which is bringing more women, black, and Latino members into ownership.
“What we are doing with this program is pretty unusual in professional sports. While there are teams with large ownership groups, having them explicitly and completely tied into the local community with an emphasis on diversity is rare,” said Shipley.
In addition to Shipley, the new owners join the Kinsley Companies and Stewart Companies, Julian and Jolene Tolbert, Loren Kroh, William Hartman, Matt Sommer and Rebecca Sanstead, Mike and Jackie Summers, Dan Waltersdorff, Joe Wagman, Gary Gentzler, Robert Stahl, Tony Campisi, David Meckley, Anthony Moore, Fred Walker, Robert Lambert, Dommonick Chatman, John Klinedinst, Rebecca Countess, Jeff and Cindy Lobach, David and Linda Davidson, John and Denise Gilliland, Bill Yanavitch, and Dr. Mark Kearse as owners of the team. The Revolution began adding to its ownership group in 2019 to add not just financial but human capital to the organization.
“As we add owners, their financial investment strengthens our ability to present a great product to the public,” said Menzer. “But these owners also have business and community wisdom and experience that’s invaluable to us in making the Revolution successful well beyond the baseball field. We are focused on building unshakable, long-term community partnerships and continually reaching new audiences in York, and all of these individuals help us do so.”
About the new owners:
Michael Black is the Chief Sales Officer for Doceo Office Solutions and the chairman of the York City Redevelopment Authority.
Michael Doweary works for the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development as a court appointed receiver for financially distressed small cities in Pennsylvania and is the former York City business administrator.
Jennifer Heasley and Paige Jordan – Jennifer owns Sweet Mama’s Mambo Sauce, Game Day Kitchen Catering, and the Cooking with the Pros blog; she taught in York City schools for 23 years. Her daughter Paige is an Account Coordinator with The Morning Brew.
Ben and Jessica Jackson – Ben is an analyst for the Department of Defense and a real estate investor in York; Jessica owns Affordable Mattress in Thomasville and is a residential realtor. Both are active community volunteers in York.
Mike Kochenour is the founder and Chairman of Traditions Bank and has served and chaired numerous non-profit boards in York.
Shawn and Chrysta Stine – Shawn is Senior Vice President of Murphy McCormack Capital Advisors and had an extensive banking career in York; Chrysta is the retired CFO of York Hospital. Both are active on non-profit boards in York County.
Catherine Stetler and Scott Mailen – Catherine is a Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Department of Human Services for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; Scott also works for the commonwealth as a program manager.
Julie and Michael Wheeler – Julie is the President Commissioner for York County; Mike is a realtor for Berkshire Hathaway Homesale Realty.
Montez Parker is the founder and owner of Parker International Security. He is a York City native and Air Force veteran.
Jose Serrano is the Medical Director and Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at UPMC Hanover. As a volunteer, he chairs the York Spanish American Multicultural Resource Center in York.